Please Don't Leave Me
by luckypenguinbuddy
Summary: I originally posted this on tumblr for the week 22 rizzlesfanficchallenge, confessions. After re-reading it I felt it was in need of some tweaking so here it…hopefully in its new and improved version. Enjoy and let me know what you think.


**Disclaimers: I own nothing Rizzoli & Isles. That is the privilege of TNT, Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro and the new show runner. I love R & I's chemistry so much that I only barrow them as a muse. No infringement intended.**

**A/N: I originally posted this on tumblr for the week 22 rizzlesfanficchallenge, confessions. After re-reading it I felt it was in need of some tweaking so here it…hopefully in its new and improved version. Enjoy and let me know what you think.**

**'Please don't leave me'**

Leaving out an almost un-lady like sigh of frustration, "I'm sorry Henry but I must take this call." The Chief Medical Examiner apologizes after her cell phone begins to ring for the third time in less than five minutes.

"No, go ahead. I know just how demanding one's job can be." Though his face showed anything but understanding. As a matter of fact, the creasing in his features showing extreme annoyance over this disturbance.

Henry stands along with the honey blonde as she excuses herself from the table, "Dr. Isles"

_"Dr. Isles? It's Korsak."_

"Good evening Detective. If you're calling me about a current scene this evening, I'm sorry to inform you that I'm not on call. You will need to call dispatch…"

_"I know Doc…um…Jane said you were on a date or somethin'. And I know…I know you and Jane had some sort of…misunderstanding...but…I…uh…I think you'd still want to know she's been…well…she's in the hospital."_

"Oh!" Maur stops frozen in her tracks, "Is…is she alright?"

_"Listen Doc I'm not gonna lie to you. It's ba…" _Maura can hear a flurry of muffled voices in the back ground through the other end of the phone interrupting him. After a moment Korsak continues,_ "Listen…I gotta go. She's at Mass. General. Come…uh…if not for Jane…um…come for Angela. I think the family'll need you doc."_

Before Maura even has a chance to respond the line was dead. "I'm on my way." She ends up whispering to no one but herself.

_The two women hadn't really spent much time together for the last few weeks. None actually, unless you count the short and curt communication exchanged over something case related. And truth be told they both were actually doing their best to avoid one another ever since the day Patrick Doyle Sr. had moved into the senior care center. The day Jane dropped her devastating little 'bomb shell' on her best friend. Once Maura got over her initial shock of the moment and before her brain was able to regain its proper decorum the words slipped off her tongue._

_"So you're entertaining the idea then?"_

_"Yes" Jane answered rubbing her scars._

_"Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?" The blonde asked matter-of-factly._

_"Maura!?"_

_"No Jane. No. You just told me yesterday morning, in not so many words, that he was suffocating you. What happen to 'I can't be me and his too', huh?"_

_"You don't understand. I don't want to lose him."_

_"Oh, I understand. I understand better than you think but what happens after he gives up the career he loves to be here with you and then wants you to do the same?"_

_"He knows I love my job. He would never ask…"_

_"Really?" _The smaller woman stands poised with her hand on her hip,_ "Just listen to yourself, Jane."_

_"It's my life Maura."_ Jane mirrors her friend's stance.

_"Yes. Yes it is. Though I find it sadly humorous that in everything you have said to me…you did not defend your relationship by saying…you love him. And if he loves you he wouldn't give you an ultimatum. Ultimatums are not proposals to start a life on."_

_"Maura, he's wants a life with me. He wants to be with me."_

_"Well then, you need to consider if you are really ready to change your life for him because that is what he will be expecting. The friend I was talking with yesterday was choosing her job over him but was upset that he might be choosing deployment over you. I remember hearing…I want him to stay but I want him to go. You need to make up your mind Jane."_

_"That's not fair Maura."_

_"Life isn't fair, Jane. You know I can't lie and I just have to say how ludicrous I feel this is…the fact that you are even entertaining this…this ultimatum. You deserve better than this my friend. And if you are truly considering saying yes to him then you are making a huge mistake. Don't just settle like I believe you are attempting to do." He doesn't love you like I do. She finished the thought in her head. Abruptly ending the conversation Maura excused herself and went to say goodbye to her grandfather before leaving the senior care center._

Shakily pulling herself from her memory Maura hurries back to the table. Looking apologetically at Henry she says, "I'm sorry, I have an emergency." Without another word she gathered her things rushing out of the restaurant. Operating on auto pilot as she managed to drive herself to the hospital.

"Oh, Maura!" Angela screamed as the CME ran through the ER entrance doors.

The Rizzoli matriarch pulled the petite woman into a bone crushing hug, "Oh, Maura." She cried out again as she began to sob uncontrollably.

In a breathy whisper Maura looked around asking, "What happened?"

It wasn't until Frankie pulled a sobbing Angela away that Korsak spoke as he placed his chubby hand on her shoulder, "I'm glad you came doc." Relief clearly showing on his face.

"What's going on Vince? What happened to Jane?"

"She…uh…she took a couple bullets in the chest and neck." His voice cracked, "She…uh…she saved my life." It took him a moment to continue, "I'm not sure how she's even alive doc. She's a mess."

"Where is she? May I see her?"

"Surgery." He crocked out. Clearing his throat he tried again, "She…uh…she's in surgery. Right before you got here the ER doc came out to talk to Angela. She said it will be a while before we hear anything. Said that they worked on her enough to be able to move her up to the operating room. I don't know…there was so much blood at the scene." Noticing the detective's blood covered clothes for the first time Maura felt faint.

Korsak helped her to the closest chair, "You okay doc?"

Needing to look away from Detective Korsak's clothing saturated in her best friends blood she looked around the emergency room. "Did any one call Casey?"

Kneeling down to her level, "You don't know then." He shook his head thinking woman, "I guess you wouldn't. He…he left…uh…after Jane said no."

"Jane said no?"

"Yeah"

Looking around the room emergency room full of BPD officers fear constricting her chest for the second time, "Where's…where's Barry? Is he…is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's okay, doc. Frost just needed something to do so he went to get Tommy. We couldn't reach the kid. I think his phones out again and Lydia said he's out on a painting job."

"Oh, good." Leaving out a breath she didn't know she was holding, "What can I do, Vince?"

"I know you're not a religious person doc but Janie could use all the prayers she can get right now. And be there for Angela. She loves you like her other daughter and she needs you to be here for her right now."

"Of course." Giving the older detective's shoulder a squeeze as they moved over to where Frankie and Angela were currently sitting.

The three Rizzoli's, Korsak, Frost, half of the BPD police force including Lt. Cavanaugh and Maura all waited in the surgical lounge. They had been waiting for more than five hours before finally hearing that Jane was out the operation room and being moved into the recovery room. Words like, "She lost a massive amount of blood." "We were able to remove the bullets but the damage was already done." "She coded on us but we were able to get her back." "It was touch and go in there for a while but she made through the initial surgery." "She is holding her own for now but the next twenty-four hours will tell." "The sooner she wakes up the better her chances will be." "Only family will be able to see her once she's moved up to ICU." were spinning around in Maura's head as she sat next to Angela holding the matriarchs hand attempting to offer as much comfort and support as possible to the woman she loved like a mother.

Frankie finally stood up helping his mother out of her chair in an attempt to move the group up to the ICU. Angela not letting go of Maura's hand pulled her along too. Resisting the movement the honey blonde said, "I can't. Only family is allowed in to see Jane."

"Maura honey, you are family. How many times do we have to tell you that? You're my daughter too." Angela said pulling the smaller woman in for a much welcomed hug.

Fighting the tears that threatened, "Jane won't want to see me. We're…fighting."

"Honey. Janie loves you and I know it in my heart that she will want to see you before anybody else."

Frankie being the person he is started gently pushing the two woman toward the elevator. Whispering in the ME's ear, "Ma's right Maura. Janie told me what you said to her and when she comes out of this you need to ask her why she told him no."

Now that Maura found herself standing alone in Jane's room she didn't know what to do with herself. Insisting that Angela and Frankie should see Jane first. Then Tommy went in the room once Frankie came back out. After a short time Tommy came out with instructions from his mother to send Maura in. After a few minutes of comforting one another Angela excused herself to give Maura some time alone.

When she first walked into the room she couldn't get two feet past the doorway. Standing back fighting to keep her composure while taking in the ghostly frame of the woman in the bed. She then took in all of the various monitors hooked up to that long lanky form. It was like looking at the shell of her bigger than life friend.

Once she finally made it over to stand next to Angela beside the bed the older Rizzoli brought her into a one armed hug whispering things like. 'She's gonna make it.' 'She just has to.' 'My baby's so strong.' 'She's a fighter.' 'We just have to pray and believe.'

Soon the pull was too much for Maura. She had to feel Jane. To reassure herself that this was really Jane who was in front of her, not some stranger instead. Needing the reassurance that Jane was alive even though the machines confirmed that fact for her. Needing physical contact with her best friend she hesitantly reached out moving a stray hair for the brunette's face, slowly caressing her cheek as she pulled away. Soon she found herself lifting a limp and pale olive-skinned hand into her own. Her thumb naturally smoothing over the raised scar.

Quietly she spoke, "Please don't leave me Jane." Watching the tall lean woman's chest steadily rise and fall, "I'm sorry I up set you like I did…it was so selfish of me. I…I shouldn't have said what I did. I had no right. You are my best friend, Jane and I can't lose you. If you love Casey then you should be with him. It's just…I love you too. I love you so much…so much more than he ever could. I just wish…I wish I knew how to tell you how I feel." Wiping the tears for her cheek with her free hand she continued, "I'm in love with my best friend and I don't know how to tell her. Now I might lose you forever. Please use that Italian stubbornness to come back to me so I can tell you…I'm in love with you, Jane." After a long silence Maura whispered, "How could I be so stupid?"

A gravelly voice startled the honey blonde from her revere of mentally berating herself, "I told you…you were the dumbest genius I'd ever known." Attempting to smile at the woman by her bedside, "I don't love Casey…I love you, Maur."

Maura looked up to see the most beautiful brown eyes looking into hers, "Thank you. Thank you for not leaving me, Jane." Maura sighed knowing the danger was far from over but thanking whom ever for giving her this chance with Jane.

"Thank you…f-for being h-here f-for meee, Maur. For…for loving me."

"You love me too?"

"Yeah. I do."

"I'm sorry I haven't been a very good friend for you the past few weeks. I should have been more supportive, Jane."

"No. I…I…um…I needed the time…to…to get my head straight. Maur, I was gonna tell you once our case was done. I told Casey the other night…I told him…I told him…no. I…I told him I cared about him but I…I wasn't in love with him…that I was…I was in love with someone else and I couldn't lose her. I can't lose you either Maura."

"You told Casey you loved me?"

"Yeah." Jane smiled the best she could even though it didn't make it to her eyes, "Now could you kiss me so I know this isn't a dream?"

"You need to rest Jane. Save your strength."

"I'll…I'll rest better if you kiss me first."

Knowing she would relax better too Maura gave in and started to lean over the bed railing. Awkwardly trying to reach those lips she had wanted to kiss for so long. After the second unsuccessful attempt she stepped back putting the railing down. Jane's breathy chuckle came out at this, "Why does everything with us have to be soooo…complicated? Huh?"

Maura for her part just smiled. A smile as bright as the sun. That one dimpled smile that the detective loved so much. She swiftly move closing the distance between them. Their first kiss was gentle. Shy even. Soft lips brushing against chapped ones. Smiling into the kiss Jane said when it ended, "I love you Maura Isles."

"I love you too Jane Rizzoli so you better get better. Don't you dare leave me now that I finally have you." Maura warned the fragile woman before her.

Jane shakily pulled Maura into a second and deeper kiss which she readily returned.

"OH MY GOD! I didn't think I'd ever see this day! It's about time you two got you heads out of your asses and admitted you loved each other!

Not hearing the door open or anyone enter the room. Both women were startled by the voice, as well as the volume. Jumping slightly and pulling apart Jane wincing from the pain caused by the quick movement. She moaned out, "Hi Ma"

Maura nodded with a smile, "Angela"

**Thank you for taking the time to read this little story of mine. I hope you enjoyed it.**


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